As the second largest city in Texas, San Antonio has a rich history and vibrant culture to go with a strong and growing economy. It’s an attractive place to live. But like other major cities, road safety can become an issue when there are that many people on the road. Traffic accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in Texas and some roads are proving to be more perilous than others. In 2019, it was reported that the accident rate was equivalent to one crash every 56 seconds and one person was killed every two hours. This article will reveal the most dangerous roads in San Antonio and try to find out why these roads are so hazardous.
How Did We Determine the Danger?
The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) website publishes data on motor vehicle crashes regularly through their Crash Records Information Service or C.R.I.S. The statistics that were important for this designation were the road ID, if the accident resulted in an injury or death, and how much property damage the accident cost. Our list then consists of the roads where the most accidents occurred.
You can further rank these roads by injury. It’s important to note that while there were over 39,000 accidents in San Antonio in 2023, 25,000 of them resulted in no injury only property damage.
What are the Most Dangerous Roads in San Antonio?
Not all accidents are reported. In 2023, San Antonio suffered from a total of 39,962 reported car accidents. Not surprisingly, the Interstate Highways reported the most accidents. Since the highways received the most traffic per day and offer higher rates of speed, it shouldn’t surprise you that the three sections of interstate highway all reported over 3,000 accidents. Out of the 20 most dangerous roads in San Antonio, the top ten are all a type of highway, suggesting speed was involved. The tenth road may have another added element as it runs east-west where the sun can cause blindness during certain times of day. The other interesting fact is that 48% of these accidents did not occur at an intersection.
Street Name
Number of Crashes 2023
- Interstate Highway 410
3449
- Interstate Highway 10
3061
- Interstate Highway 35
3036
- State Highway Loop 1604
1844
- US Highway 0281
1351
- US Highway 0090
911
- State Highway Loop 13
903
- State Highway 151
656
- Interstate Highway 37
610
- Culebra Road
459
- Babcock Road
434
- Farm-to-Market Road 2252
431
- State Highway Spur 421
430
- South Zarzamora Street
346
- Farm-to-Market Road 471
344
- State Highway 16
326
- Huebner Road
307
- Farm-to-Market Road 2696
295
- Principal Arterial State System 1502
280
- State Highway Loop 345
269
These statistics can be daunting, to say the least. When you consider that the numbers decrease when you narrow the accidents down to those that resulted in injury or death. There’s an interesting change to this list.
The Most Dangerous Roads in San Antonio Due to Injury Accidents
If you recall, when we considered all accidents, 48% of them did not involve an intersection of roads. Vehicle accidents in San Antonio that involve injury or death fell at 11,719 in 2023. A significant decrease in number. Of these accidents that injured people, 47% of them occurred at some type of intersection which includes on and off ramps and changing lanes. While this changes the number of accidents, it doesn’t change the ranking of dangerous roads much. Babcock Road jumped into the top ten, but this isn’t surprising as a road with constantly changing lanes and lane drops catching drivers off guard. There are also pedestrian issues here where the availability of sidewalks is inconsistent and they’re in poor condition.
Street Name
Number of Crashes 2023
- Interstate Highway 410
941
- Interstate Highway 35
840
- Interstate Highway 10
829
- State Highway Loop 1604
534
- US Highway 0281
418
- State Highway Loop 13
295
- US Highway 0090
246
- State Highway 151
225
- Culebra Road
176
- Babcock Road
165
- Interstate Highway 37
163
- Farm-to-Market Road 2252
158
- State Highway Spur 421
157
- Farm-to-Market Road 471
141
- South Zarzamora Street
132
- State Highway 16
120
- Huebner Road
118
- Farm-to-Market Road 2696
104
- West Commerce Street
99
- Wurzbach Road
90
The Underlying Causes of These Dangerous Roads
First and foremost, the top four or five roads are heavily traveled. It amounts to sheer numbers. Rapid urban expansion and jumps in population add congestion to roads that were simply not made for that kind of volume. Other areas where vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians mix together creating complex driving situations.
Weather Conditions
San Antonio can experience pretty varied weather between intense downpours and extreme heat. You’re looking at drivers missing exits, lane changes, and pedestrians due to lack of visibility or slippery road conditions.
Road Design and Infrastructure
The older roads in San Antonio, and especially those that haven’t been expanded and updated, aren’t designed to handle the amount of traffic they now get. This results in narrow lanes, confusing intersections and exits, and of course pedestrians without proper and safe places to travel. Add in poor maintenance and drivers are also swerving to miss potholes or slipping on uneven road surfaces.
Driver Behavior and Distractions
You can’t blame the road and the weather all the time. Distracted driving leads to countless accidents across the nation. That’s why many states have hands-free laws when it comes to texting while driving, including Texas. It may not seem like much, but those seconds you take to glance at your phone can make the difference between noticing a problem and avoiding it and crashing. There’s also drunk driving, speeding, and driving reckless to consider.
Conclusion
These roads have some of the most challenging driving conditions in San Antonio. The high traffic volumes, challenging road designs, and pedestrian activity all pose potentially hazardous conditions if drivers aren’t careful. While the city and state are working to improve road safety, as a driver you can contribute to increased safety by staying alert, obeying traffic laws, and being courteous.